Human influenza hemagglutinin (HA) is a surface glycoprotein required for the infectivity of the human virus. The HA tag is derived from the HA-molecule corresponding to amino acids 98-106 has been extensively used as a general epitope tag in expression vectors. Many recombinant proteins have been engineered to express the HA tag, which does not appear to interfere with the bioactivity or the biodistribution of the recombinant protein. This tag facilitates the detection, isolation, and purification of the proteins.

Discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) or CD167b (cluster of differentiation 167b) is a kind of protein tyrosine kinases associated with cell proliferation and tumor metastasis, and collagen, identified as a ligand for DDR2, up-regulates matrix metallloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) and MMP-2 expression in cellular matrix. DDR2/CD167b was found to recognise the triple-helical region of collagen X as well as the NC1 domain. Binding to the collagenous region was dependent on the triple-helical conformation. DDR2/CD167b autophosphorylation was induced by the collagen X triple-helical region but not the NC1 domain, indicating that the triple-helical region of collagen X contains a specific DDR2 binding site that is capable of receptor activation. DDR2/CD167b is induced during stellate cell activation and implicate the phosphorylated receptor as a mediator of MMP-2 release and growth stimulation in response to type I collagen. Moreover, type I collagen-dependent upregulation of DDR2/CD167b expression establishes a positive feedback loop in activated stellate cells, leading to further proliferation and enhanced invasive activity.